There are a variety of wire-trap electrical connectors known in the art. Basically, a wire-trap connector is designed to allow easy insertion of a wire into the connector in engagement with a terminal, but it is very difficult if not impossible to remove the wire from the connector as by pulling.
Such connectors are used in a wide variety of applications. One application or environment within which such connectors would be desirable but presently are not available, is in the area of modular wall panel and modular furniture systems. These systems incorporate wall panel modules which divide a space into defined work areas, such as in office or similar facilities. Each work area has a need for electrical outlets to accommodate computers and any number of other electrical or electronic devices as well as communication devices. In some wall panel systems, electrical or communications networks are hard wired directly into the panels themselves In other systems, raceways are provided either in or along edges of the wall panels within which electrical and/or communications networks are mounted by means of harnesses.
Although modular wall panel and modular furniture systems, themselves, have been designed to provide versatility in dividing a particular space into various work areas, and although providing electrical and/or communications networks to the panels by means of interchangeable harnesses have provided some degree of networking flexibility, there still remains a considerable need for flexibility within the network systems themselves. For instance, it is rather expensive to change a networking system by changing the entire harnesses themselves.
This invention is directed to the design of a unique wire-trap electrical or communications connector which provides a considerable degree of flexibility within the connector and the system in which the connector is employed.